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Suffering from diarrhoea for long? Get yourself tested today! Know more about Shigellosis or Bacillary Dysentery / Marlow Syndrome. What are the signs and symptoms? How can homeopathy help you? All of this answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!

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What is shigellosis?

Shigellosis is known as bacillary dysentery or Marlow syndrome, in its most severe manifestation, is a foodborne illness caused by infection by bacteria of the genus shigella.

-Shigella species such as shigella dysenteriae, shigella flexeri, shigella sonnei, shigella boydii are aerobic, non-motile, glucose-fermenting, gram-negative rods that are highly contagious, causing diarrhea after ingestion of a few as 180 organisms.

-Shigella species cause damage to the human body by in following 2 ways-

-The colonic epithelium is invaded (Plasmid-mediated virulence factor dependant)

-Enterotoxin is produced

-The spread is via the fecal-oral route.

Who is prone to get affected with Shigellosis?

-Shigella can affect individuals at any age.

-Shigellosis is most common in children especially between ( 6months to 5 years).

-No sexual predilections exist in shigella infections.

-Shigellosis can occur in individuals of any race.

What are the Causes of Shigellosis /Bacillary dysentery/Marlow syndrome?

The major causative organisms for shigellosis are as follows

• S. sonnei and S flexneri are the cause of shigellosis in 90% of cases.

• S dysenteriae has produced epidemic shigellosis.

What are the symptoms and signs of Shigellosis?

Symptoms presented by patients of shigellosis are as follows: –

• Mild abdominal discomfort.

• Full blown dysentery characterized by

• Cramps

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Blood

• Pus

• Mucus in stools

• Tenesmus

• Dehydration

• Lower abdominal tenderness

• Lower abdominal bowel sounds

• Infection of shigellosis is usually associated with

• Mucosal ulceration

• Rectal bleeding

• Hemolytic uremic syndrome

What are the investigations of Shigellosis?

Laboratory tests to be done are as follows: –

• Fecal leukocytes and erythrocytes

• Mildly elevated hematocrit

• Serum sodium

• Urea nitrogen

• Positive findings on stool culture of the fresh fecal specimen

• Blood cultures

Histologic findings are as follows: –

• Hemorrhage

• Ulcers

• Mucous depletion

• Occasional crypt abscesses

What treatment is advised in Shigellosis?

Treatment can be done on the following basis: –

• Replacing fluids and salt lost because of diarrhea

• Oral replacement

• Antibiotics

• Antimotility agents should be avoided

What are the complications of Shigellosis?

Chronic carriers are unusual, mild cramps post infection for a couple of weeks is possible after the treatment.

What are the Homeopathy medicines for Shigellosis?

The commonly indicated medicines are-

• Carbo-veg

• Podophyllum

• Camphor

• Aloe socotrina

• Cina

• Arsenic Album

What is the differential diagnosis of Shigellosis?

• Viral gastroenteritis

• Bacterial gastroenteritis

• Salmonellosis

• Ulcerative colitis

• Yersinia enterocolitica

• Cholera

• Clostridium difficile colitis

• Colon cancer

• Crohn disease

• Cryptosporidiosis

• Pseudomembranous colitis

• Amebiasis

• Campylobacter infections

• Escherichia coli infections

For more information, you can visit WebMD and HealthLine.